Pouring spout and container



Nov. 14, 1933. H. BRUCKER POURING SPOUT AND CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1932 A TTORN E YS.

Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES} v PATENT'DFFRE ;i

Thisinvention relates in generalto 1a pouring? spoutv for-containers, and particularly to spouts of the type including a bottom or body portion hingedly connected at; one end of i a discharge ,;aperture in a wall-ofthe container and formed with resilient sectore'shapedsside' wings concentric with the axis of hinging to frictionally engage the walls of said aperture'zso that the body portionnormally serves as a :closure for'the aper- ,sture and is adapted to be swungoutwardly there'- from to serve as apouring spout when it is desired to, discharge. the 'contents of i the container through said aperture. The sidewings of the spout are usually divergent from each other/away ;from the body portion so as to resiliently engage the f Walls of the aperture to hold athe I spout in:

closed position and maintain a tightjengagement with thewalls of the OPBIIiIigiWhGIlthe'spout is pen; c, 20511 One object ofthe inventionzris to provide a pourin'g'spout of this character wherein the rear edges'iofthe side wings, or the edgestof the-wings disposed Within the COI1t&iIl81 when the spout is connected thereto, are "provided with novel and ,;improved'stopflanges to engag'ethe inner wall of I' the container and prevent the spout from being pulled out of the :aperture, said stop flanges being so constructed that the spout maycbe easily: inserted into the discharge aperture 1 from the ooutside of the container by. simply pressing the 1 wings toward each other as thespout is pushed through the aperture, the flanges also extending from the arcuate edges of the wingsyto points adjacent the hinging point of the spout soiasito provide a secure; hold ofthe spout upon .the inner walls of the container.- 1 :1

Another object of the invention-is tojrprovide suchia; pouring spouthaving a tongue to be in-. serted into and engage one end of the discharge, aperture in the container to cooperate with said flanges on the side wings for pivotallyconnecting the spout to the container, whereby the tongue prevents the spout from being bodily pulled from the discharge aperture when the spout is in closed the spout from being pulledfrom the aperture when the spout is in open position.

Qther objects of theinvention are to provide a combination of such a spout and a container,

the discharge aperture from one end thereoflsaid lugs being spaced from each other to receive the tongue of the pouring. spout between them and beinggspacedfrom the sides of the aperture to ence characters,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary ,verticahsectional position and the stop flanges positivelyprevent wherein the container has -lugsprojecting-into receive the side flangesof thefspout between the lugs and the sidesof the aperture, said lugs prov viding bearings for the end of the spout to prevent it from being pushedintothe aperture; to provide a pouring spout formed of resilient sheet material-and-havingpa body portion of a size: and

shape to close a discharge aperture ina container and constructed -to-'be hingedly connected to a container at one end of such discharge aperture,

said body also"havingsectonshaped side flanges concentric with'the point of-hinging and: ofiset Q from the body portion at its-free end to provide shoulders to snap under the side edges of such a discharge gapertureso as to hold-the spout-in; closed position; and to obtain other advantages and results as willbe brought outby the follow- 3 7,

ing description; N 7

Referring to the accompanying drawing, in. which corresponding and likeparts are designated I throughout the-severatviews bythe same referview. through one end of a containerhaving -a"' pouring spout embodying my invention connected thereto and-shown in closed position;

Figure '2 is a'similar view showing the spout in cpenpositiony w c Figure 3 is-atransverse sectional View, on the line 33 of Figure2; Figure 4 is a front elevation of ,the end of the container ,and the pouring spout, showingythe-, w, manner of'inserting the spout into the discharge aperture;

Figure-5 is arvertical sectional view, on the-1' line 5-5 of=,Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view, on the line 6-6 of Figure 2;

Figure F7 is a detached perspective viewof the pouring spout; V

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view, on the line 8-8 oi Figure'l, and

Figure 9 is a detached plan-view of the spout;

In the-specific embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the reference character 1 designates a container of any suitable construction havinga top or cover 2. The discharge aperture 3 is formedin the topor cover 2, said aperturebeing substantially quadrangular-in shape and providedat one end with lugs e which project inwardly of the aperture in spaced relation to each other and to the respective sides of the aperture. V

'Ifhepouring spout is preferably formed of re-' silient sheet-metaland includes a body. portion? or bottom 5 of substantially .the samefsize and shape: as .the discharge aperture 3, except that-11d one end of the body is adapted to overlie the lugs 4 and has a longitudinally projecting tongue 6, preferably offset from the plane of the body 5 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the cover 2 of thecontainer, and the other end is provided with a nose or extension 7 to overlie the end of the aperture opposite the lugs 4 and provide a finger piece for actuating the spout. The body is preferably approximately the same width as the aperture 3, and the sides thereof are provided with integral resilient wings 8 which are sector-shaped and concentric with the end of the spout from which projects the tongue 6. Also, the wings preferably diverge from each other away from the body as shown in the drawing, particularly Figure 5. The straight free edges of the wings 8 are provided with angularly projecting flanges 9 which gradually decrease in width from the arcuate edges of the wings toward the body 5 of the spout so that said edges of the flanges are substantially coincident with the sides of the body where said edges merge into the body. In other words, the flanges 9 gradually decrease in width from the arcuate edges of the wings toward the body, and while the flanges have been shown as extending the full length of the rear edges of the wings, of course, said flanges might terminate somewhat short of the body.

In connecting the spout to the container, the tongue 6 is first inserted into the discharge aperture 3 to lie against one end of the aperture between the lugs 4, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 6, and the wings 8 are arranged between the lugs 4 and the sides'of' the aperture and are pressed toward each other as shown in Figure 4 of the drawing until the edges of the flanges 9 clear the sides of the aperture, whereupon the spout is hingedly pushed through the aperture and the wings released. This permits the wings to spring outwardly into frictional contact-with the sides of the aperture, and when the spout is swung into open position, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and. 6, said flanges 9 abut the inside of the wall or cover 2 of the container to prevent the spout from being pulled out of the aperture. When the spout is swung into closed position, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the tongue 6 prevents the spout from being bodily pulled out of the aperture, and of course the edges of the flanges 9 also restrain outward movement 'of the spout. The lugs 4 serve as a bearing for the hinging end of the body 5 of the spout to prevent the spout from being pushed into the aperture, and similarly, the nose 7 on the body 5 prevents the other end of the body from being pushed into the aperture.

For the purpose of frictionally holding the spout in closed position, the side wings 8 at the free end of the body 5 may be oifset or bent out wardly, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, to form beveled triangular shoulders 10 to snap under the side edges of the aperture, as clearly shown in Figure 8, when the spout is closed, so as to hold the spout in closed position.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that a spout embodying my invention can be easily andquickly applied to'a container from the outside of the container by. a relatively unskilled operator; that the spout is simple and inexpensive to construct; that the spout will be positively held against accidental displacement from the discharge aperture of the container after the spout has once been connected to the container; and therefore a spout and container embodying my invention can be quickly assembled and can be occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and therefore I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself except as required by the following claims when construed in the light of the prior art.

Having thus claim is:

1. The combination of a container having a pouring aperture in one wall formed with inwardly projecting lugs at one end thereof spaced from each other and the side walls of said open ing, a pouring spout of resilient sheet material comprising a body of a size and shape to close said aperture and having a tongue engaging the edge of said aperture at said end between said lugs to hingedly connect the body to'the container for opening and closing said aperture, said body having sector-shaped side wings concentric with the point of hinging frictionally engaging the sides of said aperture and being of such radescribed the invention, what I -dius that the arcuate edges of said wings engage the end of the aperture opposite the hinging point, each of said side wings being disposed between one of said lugs and the adjacent side of said opening, the rear edges of said wings having flanges projecting angularly outwardly from the wings to abutthe inner side of said wall of the container and the edges of said flanges being substantially coincident with the end of said body at the point of the hinging and gradually diverging from the respective wings in the direction of the arcuate edges of the latter, whereby said spout may be connected to the container from the outside thereof by inserting said tongue into said aperture-between said lugs with the end of the body abutting the lugs and the side wings between said lugs and the sides of said aperture, springing said wings toward each other to permit said flanges to clear the sides of the aperture, and then hingedly swinging the spout into'said aperture and releasing said wings, whereupon said flanges prevent the spout from being pulled out of the aperture when the spout is in open position, said tongue prevents the spout from being bodily removed from the'aperture when the spout is in closed position and said lugs prevent the spout from being pushed inwardly through said opening. a I

2. The combination of a container having a pouring aperture in one wall, a pouring spout of resilient sheet material comprising a body of a size and shape to close said aperture, means hingedly connecting one end of said body to said wall at one end of said aperture to permit swinging of said body for opening and closing said aperture, said body having sector-shaped side wings concentric with the point of hinging and of such radius that the arcuate edges of said wings engage the end of the aperture opposite the hinging point, said side wings being oifset outwardly from the sides of said body atthe free end of the 1y connected at one end to such a wall of a container at one end of such pouring aperture, said body having sector-shaped side wings. concentric with the point of hinging and of such radius that the arcuate edgesof said wings engage the end or the aperture opposite the hinging point, said 

